Tuba Cookey is an extremely talented woman who had immigrated to Canada from Nigeria to go to work in high level finance. She had earned her first degree in England and had got a Masters degree in Canada some years later before returning to Nigeria to continue her banking career.
She said that while she was in Ottawa looking to move from
her job in financial sector research, she thought she should “take advantage of
the kind of career consulting (that I offer) that doesn’t exist in Nigeria,”
and explore her options for career change.
I had Taba write “her story”–eight examples of experiences that had been very satisfying for her throughout her life. They didn’t have to be job related.
What came up again and again is that she thrives with new
competitive challenges that force her to stretch herself beyond anything she
had ever done before. She also needs those challenges defined with deadlines
and guidelines for measuring success. For example, she was usually one of the
best students in her schools and was the only student in her graduate school
class to complete her master’s thesis in time to graduate on schedule.
When she moved from Nigeria to London at age 9, she quickly
established herself as one of the star sprinters in her elementary school.
Before long, having run out of female competition, talk in the playground was
that she should take on the fastest boy runner in the school.
“Finally, a date and hour was set. It was close…but there
was no doubt about the result: I won, and that was the end of John’s bragging
about how fast he was,” Taba said.
At some point during this career audit, she accepted an
offer as Standards and Insurance Manager for a Canadian government agency that
was charged with protecting consumers’ deposits in event of the failure of
federally regulated banks and trust companies. She didn’t understand why at the
time, but found herself so bored and frustrated with her job.
We figured out that even though her position at the
government regulatory agency might be the perfect job for someone else, it was
“just pushing papers” for her. Many jobs, including the one she was in at the
agency, organized to be predictable and mundane and often become simple and
boring for talented people like Taba.
Using “her story,” we determined:
* The work environment she would thrive in.
* The type of work she would thrive in.
* The way she likes to be managed.
* The way she likes to be rewarded.
* What motivates her.
* And how she likes to approach tasks.
“My work with George made me realize this sort of work was
thoroughly unsuited to me” says Taba.
She began to seriously consider returning to Nigeria and we
talked about the need for African ex-patriates to return home and use their
knowledge and expertise in developing Africa. She decided to go back to
Nigeria without any prospects for a job. I told her that she had lots of
talents and people would recognize and reward her for that.
I think that one of the reasons ex-patriates don’t go back
to their home countries after being educated abroad is because they’re worried
they won’t get challenging jobs. I knew it wouldn’t be a problem for Taba
because she has talents that transfer across borders. It was just a question of
packaging her talents to be recognized and rewarded in different cultural
contexts.
So we had to put her talents into a resume to show what this
person could do for an employer anywhere–a dramatic example of how her talents
transfer across cultures and borders.
She sent me an email saying, “An amazing opportunity opened
up in Ghana. I am a Program Manager with the African Finance Corporation (http://www.africafc.org), based in Accra,
responsible for overseeing all IFC leasing development programs in Africa. IFC
is the private sector arm of the World Bank, promoting development through
loans, equity and technical assistance to the private sector.”
A lot of businesses in Africa have difficulty in accessing
traditional bank financing, and leasing provides an attractive alternative to
such companies. The program aims to promote the role of leasing through
training, public awareness, attracting new investment into the industry and
working with the authorities in specific African countries to improve the
legislative and regulatory environment for leasing.
This job is challenging for her because it is so varied and
really stretches her capabilities. Also, she travels all over Africa and has to
deal with different personalities in differing cultures. She needs to be in
circumstances that stretch her, like beating the fastest boy in school.
“The other day I went through the life stories I had written
and the analysis you had done four years ago now, and was amazed at the way it
has all come together in my present job,” said Taba. “It is really quite
uncanny. But then again perhaps not, since you had so accurately identified the
kind of work and environment that would give me ‘jobjoy’ and I have finally found
it. It is not surprising that I can now say without hesitation that I have
never enjoyed work so much, and…yes, feel fortunate that I am actually getting
paid for it. I come to work every day with a sense of anticipation, and hardly
know where the time has gone at the end of the day. I actually have to tear
myself away! This is such a change from so much of my previous life spent clock
watching and day dreaming at work.”
When we get into a jobfit, other parts of our lives often
fall into place. After a few years in this job, Taba returned to Nigeria
in 2008 . “It is great to be back home, I think age is finally taming my
itchy feet!” She was recently married, and took a new position with the
Nigerian Stock Exchange. Congratulations, Taba, in putting down
roots!
–with Nick Isenberg
For More Information Please visit www.jobjoy.com
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